Soar to Success July 2018

SOAR TO SUCCESS / July 2018 / %XVLQHVV $FFHOHUDWLRQ 6WUDWHJLHV The Art of Saying “No” By Joan Washburn You know the adage “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” Well, WKDWèV DOO ĆQH DQG JRRG XQOHVV <28 DUH WKH busy person! Learning how to say “no” can be a life- saver. When most of the executives I FRDFKĆUVW FRPH WRPH WKH\ DUH FRPSOHWHO\ overwhelmed simply because they don’t know how - or aren’t willing - to say no to requests on their time. They are committing to much more than they can reasonably accomplish. Learning how to say “no” can be a life-saver. Here are 3 tips I give them: 1. The Pause: Whenever someone makes a request of you, count to 3 before answering. Beforeyousayyes, thinkabout whether or not you can actually deliver on the commitment you’d be making without crowding out other commitments or leaving yourself burning the midnight oil. If a ‘yes’ would put you over the line, let the requester know and respectfully decline. Learn the slow “yes” and the quick “no”!